It’s a promise fulfilled for Donovan Bailey. The former 100-metre world-record holder and 1996 Olympic double gold medallist is set to release his book “Undisputed: A Champion’s Life” on Tuesday.
The former 100-metre world-record holder and 1996 Olympic double gold medallist is set to release his book “Undisputed: A Champion’s Life” on Tuesday.
“There's some that I needed to do it for, for the people that really don't know me but have seen and heard and read the narrative,” Bailey said in an interview with The Canadian Press. His unique journey back into track and field came along with troubles in progressing on the Canadian national team, highlighted by one of a couple of turning points in his career leading up to and at the 1993 world championships in Stuttgart, Germany.
“They would put together small competitions in random locations … with little fanfare. The meets weren’t advertised, and many times, elite sprinters such as myself weren’t invited. So that presented lighter competition which an athlete could post superior times.” He also touched on his comments regarding the racial issues in Canada leading up to the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, which he faced blowback for.
Some media referred to Bailey as “unCanadian” after he called American 200-metre Olympic champion Michael Johnson a"chicken" after their their infamous 150-metre clash at Rogers Centre, then known as SkyDome, in 1997.“We were gladiators, the 100 metres back in the day when I competed, it was heavyweight boxing,” Bailey said. “The guys might smile at each other off track and maybe even go out for dinner or something. But on the track, I mean, it was just a different thing.